White Laces & Cherry Cheeks
by Rustle-My-Jimmies
Summary: Kaoru is outside, waiting for a bus (that isn't coming) during the first snow of the season. ONE-SHOT, very drabble-ish. Might make it into a two-shot/ three-shot. Rated T for tiggles.
1. White Laces & Cherry Cheeks

**Hi!**

**As this is not my first fan fiction, it is my first Rurouni Kenshin fan fiction. It's just a cute little idea that popped into my head when the first snow came in November. And the first significant snow today in December.**

**I might add onto this, make it a two or three shot, but I'll keep it small for now. :)**

**So, yeah.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**White Laces & Cherry Cheeks**

* * *

"It's finally snowing."

She reached her hands out in front of her as she spoke softly, loving the feeling of the icy laces on her now bare fingers. It wasn't long, though, before the chilly feeling rushed through to the inside of her hands, forcing her to put her gloves back on.

The bus was late. This particular bus normally comes at 8:50.

It was now 9:02, and Kaoru was getting worried.

She decided that rather than waste the rest of her night freezing to the bone, she'd instead begin the 7 block trek from the bus stop in front of the university sports complex to her apartment.

In the snow storm worsening by the moment.

Walking on the under-populated sidewalk, she got the strange feeling someone was following, and a little too closely.

After sharply turning into an alley and hearing a delayed set of quick footsteps approximately 5 feet behind her, Kaoru spun around, sliding her backpack from off her shoulder and plowing it into the reddish mass that was tailing her.

"AHHUFHGFLLLGGRHMPHH!'

"STAY AWA-"

Kaoru paused, letting her vision focus, and realized who was now sprawled on the ground before her.

"...Kenshin?"

"Ow. Yeah. Hi." He greeted, rubbing his now thoroughly dampened backside.

Kaoru immediately dropped her backpack into the snow-covered alley and rushed to his side.

"I am so sorry!" She exclaimed, helping her friend off the ground. "But, um, just wondering... Why exactly were you following me?"

"Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I was listening to the radio after you left, and heard that the buses were out of commission because of the storm, so I wanted to make sure you got home safely." He glanced at her backpack and asked, "Jeez, what do you carry in that thing, bricks?"

"No, textbooks," Kaoru replied with a smile. "And next time, you can just walk with me," she told him, grabbing his hand to pull him up and out of the alleyway. "And let's get a move on, it's pretty cold!"

Kenshin blushed under his wind-burn cheeks at noticing the feminine, gloved hand that held firmly to his the whole 7 blocks.


	2. Marshmallows

**So, I'm about a week and a half late for this to be a Christmas present, so this will be a Kwanzaa present. And if this is poster after Kwanzaa is over, then damn it all. **

**Thanks to all of those who reviewed, usually I'd review, but today I'm particularly lazy, but then I'd feel bad, so now I'll just go ahead and do replies anyways. Woooooo. **

**Akinomizu****: Thanks! I like when she's actually confident too :)**

**CaylieJelly****: RIGHT? Like, I'd be happy with either a Kenshin Himura or a Rory Pond for any sort of holiday. Do you think they sell them on Amazon? Better yet, Craigslist. **

**J Luc Pitard****: Thanks! And I thought so too XD Not to mention, I love your username.**

**kokoronagomu:**** I've never read the manga (sadly), but I'm glad it happened that way then. **

**Thank you (again), I feel very welcomed :3 and I'm glad to finally be here.**

**much thank**

**very kenshin**

**such welcome**

**wow**

**(I had to put a little one in there somewhere)**

** UrmixMoonstone: IT SHALL BE DONE.**

**Just a fore-warning. This is overly sweet. Like, really. In more sense than one. It also goes a bit fast for my taste, but it's supposed to be drabble-ish, I guess. **

* * *

**Part Two: Marshmallows**

* * *

It was about 9:30 when the two finally reached her apartment. Kaoru shivered as a small gust of wind hit her, and shut the door, both students safely inside.

"What a horrible night to be stuck at practice," Kaoru said, pulling off her winter gear.

"I was thinking the same, especially since it's Christmas Eve. I mean, practice on Christmas Eve, who does that?" Kenshin agreed.

"Well, we do have a meet on the 27th, so I guess it's understandable."

"And it could be tomorrow, which would be even worse."

There was a comfortable silence as Kaoru grabbed two mugs for what was soon to be hot chocolate.

"How many marshmallows?" Kaoru asked Kenshin, who was now sitting at the small island table right behind her.

"Who said I wanted marshmallows?" he responded.

"Kenshin, you've been over here a million times and not once, when we've had hot chocolate, have you not had marshmallows. So I ask again, how many?"

Kenshin smiled and stood up, walking to the cabinet and grabbing the marshmallows. While chuckling, he told her, "You know me too well, Kaoru."

"Hey, you know the rules," Kaoru said, trying to get him to sit. "When it's my place, I do this stuff, and you do it at your apartment."

"But that's only two floors down!" he reasoned, as he held the Marshmallows above her head, out of her reach by a mere five inches.

"My apartment, my rules!" she said, noticing the marshmallows and reaching up for them, putting her hand (that she wasn't using to reach) on his chest unconsciously.

This put the two in a rather compromising position, and after about ten seconds of Kaoru reaching on her tip-toes for the marshmallows, one of the two noticed. Kenshin looked down at Kaoru's determined yet laughing face, noting how beautiful it was

As his face began to grow red, Kaoru noticed Kenshin's lack of movement and looked up into his eyes. She paused when she noticed the concentrated look in his purple hues, and questioned him softly.

"What is it?"

"You're pretty, you know that?"

Kaoru damn near stopped breathing. She'd dreamed of a time when Kenshin would say something like that to her.

In the three years they've known each other, she'd come to have strong feelings for her surprisingly-clumsy red-headed friend. The rest of their friends could see the feelings they harbored for each other, and commented on it more often than not in the last seven months. But, as young and awkward adults do, they followed the three rules for procrastinating relationships:

Deny,

Deny,

Deny.

No matter how many times they said "You guys obviously like each other!", "You two would make the perfect couple!", "Hey Kenshin, when you gonna ask the missy out?", and, "You guys would make the cutest babies!".

When Kaoru finally remembered how to breathe, she smiled, bowing her head to hide her now-scarlet face and responded, "I didn't".

Ever so gently, Kenshin used his marshmallow-free hand to tilt her chin so she could see his equally red face.

"Well, you are, to me."

Kaoru smiled, a smile bright enough to light up an entire room.

Neither would have been able to say who started it, but the kiss was gentle yet strong, passionate yet reserved, slow yet hungry, and communicated all that could not be said with the greatest of words.

When they broke apart, the two blushed and stared at each other for ten seconds that seemed like an eternity, until, that is, Kenshin remembered the marshmallows that now sit forgotten on the floor where he'd dropped them prior to their lip-lock.

"Sweet victory."

Such a horrible pun could only be used at a time like this. Sweet for the kiss, sweet for his soon-to-be girlfriend, and sweet for the damn marshmallows that started it in the first place.

* * *

**I didn't want to end it here, but I don't know how else to end it, so there you go.**

**Should I put in a Christmas scene, or is that too over with by now? **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Jimmies.**


End file.
